Apparatus for elevating or conveying and transferring ice, &amp;c.



No. 707,487. Patented Aug. l9, I902.

E. A. WRIGHT.

APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING 0B CONVEYING AND TRANSFEBBING ICE, 6w.

(Application filed Feb. 15, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

No. 707,487. Patented Aug. l9, I902.

E. A. WRIGHT.

APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING 0R CONVEYING AND TRANSFERRING ICE, 6w.

(Application filed Feb. 15, 1900. v

3 Shasta-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

m: Norms PETERS co. pumaumo. msummou, D. c.

Patented Aug. l9, I902.

E. A. WRIGHT. APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING 0R CONVEYING AND TRANSFERRING ICE,8w.

(Application filed. Feb. 15, 1900.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 (No Model.)

@Vu'ueooea ms PETERS co, wcwaumo WASHINGYON, n c.

ITED drafts PATIENT FFICE.

EDGAR A. W'RIGHT, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AULTMAN COMPANY, OFCANTON, OHIO, ACORPORATION OF OHIO.

APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING OR CONVEYING AND TRANSFERRING ICE, (to.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent M0. 707,487, dated August19, 1902.

Application filed February 15, 1900. $erial No. 5,370. (No model.) A

To (0Z7, whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDGAR A. WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Elevatingor Conveying and Transferring Ice and for other Purposes, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference beinghad therein to theaccompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to simplify and improve the constructionof ice elevating and transmitting or transferring machinery, to the endthat the same may be operated with great rapidity and to a large extentautomatically without permitting the escape from the storage-chamber ofthe ice-house of cold air or the entrance of warm air.

In order to make myinvention more clearly understood, I have shown inthe accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practicalefiect without limiting my improvements in their useful applications tothe particular construction which for the sake of' illustration I havedelineated.

In said drawings,Figure 1 is a front elevation of so much of an iceelevating and transmitting or transferring mechanism embodying myinvention as is necessary for an understanding of the latter. Fig. 2 isa vertical sectional View, partly in elevation, of the same. tion.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates one or more ice receiving andconveying or elevating platforms, bars, orfingers attached to an endlesscarrier 2, the latter being carried around drums or pulleys 3, one ofthe latter receiving power from any suitable source. (Not shown.) Thiselevating device is situated, preferably, in what is known as thefreezingchamber F of the ice -storage warehouse or plant. This roomF maybe considered as typical of any room orspace where the ice is producedor deposited preliminary to the storing operation.

I indicates a block of ice shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 as beingelevated by one of the platforms 1. I may state that it being the usualand preferred practice to handle the ice while resting on its edge, theform of Fig. 3 is a plan View, partly in seemy invention hereinillustrated and described has been specially designed for such mode ofoperation, although by simple modification without departure from myinvention the apparatus may be applied to the handling of ice whileresting upon one of its fiat sides or adapted for other useful purposes.

4 is an elevator guide-frame situated near and parallel with the path ofthe platforms 1, in which frame is mounted and adapted to be adjustedand after adjustment to move vertically a cage or frame 5. The latter isprovided with any suitable hoisting mechanismsuch as traveling andstationary pulleys 6 7 7, a rope S, and a Windlass 9, with or without acounterbalancing or partly counterbalancing weight 10. Said Windlass maybe operated by hand or by any preferredgnechanical power.

11 is the platform of the transferring-cage 5, arranged, as hereinafterdescribed, to be tilted to discharge the ice at the desired place ofdelivery. The first operation, however, is to automatically transfer theice, which has been loaded in any desired manner upon one of theplatforms 1, and thereby elevated to a certain point, to the platform 11of the transmitting or transferring cage 5. To this end I combine withthe cage 5 a transferring means, the operation of which is caused, whenthe block of ice is at a proper height, substantially on a level withthe platform 11, by the movement of the ice itself or of the elevatingdevices 1 2, by which it is at that time carried. In the preferredconstruction of such automatic transferring devices which I haveillustrated 12 indicates one or more projecting bars rigidly attached tothe cage or frame 5 and extending into the path of the block of ice Whenthe latter is being elevated by one of the platforms 1. It will beunderstood that the bar orbars 12 and the platforms 1 are of suchrelative construction that the bars offer no obstruction to the verticalmovement and passage of said platforms. The block of ice I will,however, encounter the bar or bars 12 at substantially the moment whenthe bottom of the ice is on a level with the top of the platform 11,thereby lifting the cage 5 in its frame 4.

13 indicates the transferring device proper,

consisting,preferably,of downwardly-extending and laterally-movablefingers suitably connected with and supported from the cage 5, so thatlying normally behind the initial path of the ice I, as shown in dottedlines, Fig. 1, they maybe caused by the above-described upward movementof the cage 5 to press laterally upon the ice and shove the same fromthe platform 1 to the platform 11. (See full lines in Fig. 1.) Thismovement I clfect by supporting the fingers 13 rigidly upon two or morehorizontal bars 14 and connecting the latter by links 15 with the tophorizontal bar 16 of the cage 5. By this construction the parts 13 mayhave a horizontal, lateral, or parallel movement without departing fromtheir vertical positions. Such horizontal movement may be effected invarious ways. I have provided for this purpose ropes or chains 17,attached at 18 to the frame 4, passing over a pulley 19 and connected at20 with one of the supporting-bars of the transferring device 13. Itresults from this arrangement that the above-described vertical movementof the cage 5 will cause the bar 14 to be pulled on or held relative tothe cage by the rope 17, and thereby cause the parts 13, 14, and 15 tobe swung laterally from the position shown in dotted lines to that shownin full lines in Fig. 1, which will carry the block of ice I forciblyand positively from the platform 1 to the platform 11.

It will be understood that the carrying or elevating means 1 2 may be ofany desired height and that the receiving and transferring cage 5 may beplaced on the outside of the closed ice-storage chamber S and near anopenings, leading from the freezing-chamber into the storage-chamber.This opening being of small size and situated at or near the top of thestorage-chamber will permit very little exit of cold air from thestorage-chamher or entrance of warm air thereto, even if left open; butsuch opening may be provided with a door 21, preferably of anautomatic-v ally-operating character, such as a swingdoor hung on ahorizontal hinge 22. The next operation is the delivery of the block ofice I from the receiving-cage 5 through the opening .9 to an elevator orchute within the storage-chamber and at the inner side of the openings,by which last elevator or chute the ice is conducted to the desiredplace of storage either by gravity or by a positive operation of theelevator within the storage-chamber. I have illustrated an elevator 23,with suspended hooks 24 and traveling by means of endless ropes, chains,or belts 25, as a suitable receiving lneans for the ice within thestorage-chamber; but this elevator is to be understood as typical of anydesired or preferred means for receiving the ice and transferring it toits ultimate point of storage in the chamber S. As the ice leaves theplatform 11 and by its own gravity and movement opens the door 21 andpasses through the opening .9 into the storage-chamber S it is receivedupon a support or supporting bars or fingers 26, arranged to alternatewith and permit the free passage of the elevating-hooks 24. 27 is a stopwhich arrests the block of ice upon the support 26 in position to beengaged by the hooks 24 and transferred to its ultimate point of storageor to a chute at any desired point on the path of travel of the elevator23, by which chute the ice may be ultimately delivered.

It remains to describe the means for causing the block of ice to beautomatically delivered from the platform 11 of the transferring-cage 5.A convenient and preferred means for this purpose consists in mountingthe platform 11 pivotally on its cage 5 on a horizontal axis 28 at thatside of the cage which is next to the opening 5. At its other end or anysuitable point the platform 11 is suspended from a convenient part ofthe frame 4 by chains or ropes 29, which are a little too short to allowthe platform 11 to assume a horizontal position when the cage 5 is atits lowermost point. (See full lines in Fig. 1.) When, however, the iceI encounters the bars 12 and lifts the cage 5, (while at the same timethe transferring device 13 is caused to force the ice onto the platform11,) the rope 29 is slackened by reason of the elevating of the hinge 28relative to the frame 4, and said piatform 11 is permitted to assume ahorizontal position just above the sill of the opening 8. Now as the iceslides horizontally from the platform or elevating-fingers 1 the upwardpressure of the ice upon the bars 12 will cease, the platform 1 willpass upward by the cage 5, and the latter will drop to its lowermostadjusted position. The proportions of theparts will be such that thiswill bring the hinged edge of the platform 11 just at or slightly abovethe sill of the opening 3, Fig. 2. The rope 29 being a little'too short,as already explained, to allow the outer edge of the platform 11 to dropas far as the hinged edge, this dropping of the cage 5 will tilt theplatform 11, as shown, and cause the block of ice to slide by gravitythrough the opening 3 to the receiving devices within thestorage-chamber.

' It will be understood that there may be a series of openings 8 oneabove the other along the elevator-frame 4, so that the storing of theice may begin at a low level and the said openings permanently closedone after the other as the level of the stored ice rises in the chamberS. It is thus insured that the storage-chamber shall at no time haveeven a temporary opening below the level of the stored ice, which is apositive and invariable requirement with the managers of some plants. Itwill be observed that the transferring-cage 5 is adapted to be adjustedby the'windlass 9 and hoisting devices 6 7 8 to the proper height tooperate in the manner hereinbefore described for the automatic deliveryof the blocks of ice through any one of the vertical series of openings.9. After IIO the cage 5 is thus adjusted the attachmentpoint 18 of thechains 17 will be located so as to allow the transferring device 13 tohave the free initial position shown in dotted lines at Fig. 1. Also therope 29 will be attached at such point on the frame 4 relative to theheight of the cage 5 as will give the platform 11 the necessary slantwhen said cage is in its lowermost position. It will be observed thatthe vertical movement of the cage 5 in the course of its automaticoperation in connection with any one of the openings .9 will besubstantially the same as the horizontal thickness of the block of ice.Thus if the cake of ice is eleven inches thick it will require avertical movement of about eleven inches of the cage 5 to transfer theblock from the platform 1 to the platform 11, and after the block hasdisengaged from the platform 1 the cage 5 will drop down eleven inches,more or less. hen necessary, the adjustments of the various parts of theapparatus may be made to correspond with the thickness of the ice whichis being handled; but ordinarily one adjustment will serve for blocks ofice of considerable variation as to thickness.

It will be observed that important features of my invention consist inits capability of rapidly storing ice through an opening at or near thetop of the storage-room, at the top level of the ice within such room,and of operating to a great extent automatically, eliminating muchexpensive labor.

Vhat I claim is 1. The herein-described apparatus for elevating andtransferring or storing ice, con sisting of the combination of anelevator and an automatic transferring device having means for engagingthe ice at its farther side for removing the ice from said elevator.

2. In an apparatus for elevating and trans ferring ice, and for otherpurposes, the combination of an elevator, a receiving means within thestorage-chamber or otherwise suitably situated, and an automaticlaterally-acting transferring device having means for engaging the iceon its farther side while on said elevator, to remove it therefrom, andtransfer it to said receiving means.

3. The combination of an elevator, a cage for receiving the ice fromsaid elevator movable in the direction of movement of the ice, a meansfor engaging and transferring the ice carried bysaid cage and operatedby the movement of the cage, a bar or stop carried by tilting platformhinged on said cage and connected with a fixed point, means for engagingand transferring the ice from said conveying means to said platformoperated by the movement of the cage, and a bar or stop carried by thecage and adapted to be engaged by a part moved by said elevating meansto operate said cage.

6. The combination with the storage-chamber having a receiving-opening sof a frame situated near said opening, a cage movable in said frame, anelevator, and means for antomatically transferring the ice from saidelevator to said cage, and means for automatically delivering the icefrom said cage through said openin 7. The combination of thestorage-chamber having a series of openings 5 one above the other, aframe extending by said openings, a cage movable in said frame andadjustable with respect to each of said openings, an elevating orconveying device, means for automatically transferring the ice from saidconveying device to said cage, and means for antomatically deliveringthe ice from said cage to one of said openings.

8. The combination of a storage-chamber having an opening 5, a frameextending by said opening, a receiving-cage movable in said frame,anautomatic transferring device adapted to engage the ice and movabletoward and from the cage, means for delivering the ice from the cage tosaid opening, and a conveying or elevating means adapted to carry theice and acting to actuate said transferring device.

9. The herein-described apparatus for elevating and transferring orstoring ice, consisting of the combination of an elevator and anautomatic reciprocating transferring device having means for engagingthe ice at its farther side for removing the load from said elevator.

10. The herein-described apparatus for elevating and transferring orstoring ice, con- IOS IIO

sisting of the combination of a'receiving-elevator, adischarging-elevator and a reciprocating automatic transferring deviceoperated by the movement of one of said elevators and acting to removethe load from the re ceiving-elevator and permit its transfer to thedischarging-elevator.

11. The herein-described apparatus for elevating and transferring orstoring ice, consisting of the combination of an elevator, an automatictransferring and draft device having means for positively engaging theice to draw the same from the elevator platform or support, and meanswhereby the movement of the elevator is caused to actuate said device.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDGAR A. WRIGHT.

\Vitnesses:

MELVILLE B. 00X, WM. A. LYNCH.

